Frankenstein 1931
The greatest horror film ever made, based on Mary Shelley’s heartbreaking novel, tells the story of a superstitious scientist and his mistreated and exiled childlike monster. Colin Clive’s neurotic Frankenstein and Dwight Fry’s hunchbacked dwarf assistant are flawless, but the true star of the film is 42-year-old Briton William Henry Pratt, who turned his back on a privileged life as a truck driver offered by his family. Pratt, playing the monster, transformed into a sorrowful and sympathetic classic character, turning the creature from a snarling ghost into a figure that both scares and touches the audience. The film presents many dramatic scenes, including the moment of “creation” around the tower with lightning flashing and the image of the monster on the operating table. The film culminates in a terrifying confrontation between creator and creature as the villagers chase the monster with an old torch. Universal Studios set the standard for horror films, and Frankenstein remains a powerful and terrifying milestone in cinema history.
